Fact is often stranger than fiction. My family story certainly is. In January 1948, when I was three years old, my mother died of septicaemia following a miscarriage. She lay dead for three days before anyone realised something was amiss - my dad was away, and it wasn't until a neighbour spotted me and my five-year-old brother Michael in the snow with no coats on that the alarm was raised.
Dad, a sergeant in the Royal Marines, couldn't look after us on his own and tried to get a housekeeper to help at our home in Rochester, Kent, but that didn't work. The Catholic Church stepped in and, in their wisdom, separated us, sending Michael to an orphanage in Gloucester and me to one in London.
Dad was determined to get us back and so married Hilda, an ex-Army nurse, in 1951, a marriage of convenience, so that Michael and I could be brought home. There was also Selina, Hilda's nine-year-old foster child, and not long afterwards, Paul was adopted. We three older kids were a little team, and we all adored our baby brother.
Needing answers
But Hilda was a cold mother. She was in charge and we didn't see much of Dad, who'd left the Marines but worked long hours at the Post Office.
I remember the moment I had my first pang of curiosity about my mother and my past. It was Coronation Day in June 1953. I was eight years old and we were watching the ceremony at a neighbour's house. A woman there made a comment about how tragic it was that my mother's family from Ireland had not attended her funeral or tried to help us poor kids.
I asked my stepmother about what I'd heard but she just snorted. I had the distinct impression I shouldn't ask again. But in private, I often wondered about my Irish roots and my mother. All I knew was that she came from a large Catholic family in Roscommon, and that she had a sister named Anne.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2023 من Woman & Home UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2023 من Woman & Home UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
How healthy IS YOUR GUT?
This month, our fitness expert Annie Deadman on discovering what's really going on inside your body and how to keep it in the peak of condition
'DON'T CALL ME A HERO'
Seeing the plight of innocent children in Gaza, Dr Ana Jeelani knew her medical skills could save lives – here’s what she experienced
CANCER WAS JUST A JOB until it happened to me
Author, speaker and health content creator Dr Liz O'Riordan shares her journey from consultant breast surgeon to cancer patient
Freewheeling in TUSCANY
A cycling holiday through medieval cities and lush scenery is a great way to absorb culture and get off the beaten track
Nostalgic BAKES
Unlock childhood memories with these fun sweet treats
A NEW NORMAL
The Princess of Wales is looking to the future, putting family first and ditching her to-do list
I look forward to being a very elderly, ECCENTRIC WOMAN'
Comedian and podcaster Katherine Ryan, 41, lives in London with her three children and partner Bobby Kootstra
Lighter DINNERS
Big on flavour and easy on the calories
Behind CLOSED DOORS
What really goes on at your local surgery, and how are decisions made? GP and practice partner Dr Helen Wall reveals all
15 ways to IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY
Make yours fault-proof with these easy lifestyle tricks